LJ Martin is climbing the BYU record book fast, and the numbers already tell the story.
When the Cougars opened the 2026 season, Martin sat ninth on BYU’s all-time rushing list with 2,541 yards. Three games later, even with two of those outings limited to just one half, he’s surged into sixth place.
Martin has piled up 328 rushing yards so far this season, pushing his career total to 2,869. That moved him past Taysom Hill and Lakei Heimuli against Colorado State, and he’s now within striking distance of more names above him.
With 131 more yards, Martin would become only the fourth BYU running back to hit 3,000 career rushing yards. He’s also positioned to pass Tyler Allgeier and Jamal Willis in the next game or two, barring injury.
The bigger chase is still Jamaal Williams. Martin entered the season with a chance to catch BYU’s all-time rushing leader, and after the Colorado State game he sits 1,032 yards behind Williams with nine regular-season games left. That’s still a reachable number, but the two shortened games have made the climb tougher.
If Martin gets a full workload once conference play ramps up, the gap could shrink quickly. He would need to average 115 rushing yards per game the rest of the way to pass Williams during the regular season. If BYU plays at least one postseason game, that number drops to 103 per game.
Still, BYU isn’t chasing the record at the expense of everything else. The Cougars are playing the long game with Martin, and the priority is having him at his best when the schedule gets serious.
That mattered in 2025, too. In the first game against Texas Tech, Martin was clearly a fraction of himself after suffering a shoulder injury in the Iowa State game two weeks earlier.
If Martin is right when BYU faces teams like Notre Dame and Utah, the Cougars will have a shot against every opponent on the schedule. And if the wins keep coming - especially if BYU reaches the Big 12 title game and potentially the CFP - Martin will have even more opportunities to chase down the top spot in the record books.
In Other News...
BYU Already Has A Rising Freshman Fans Need To Watch
After three games of the 2026 season, BYU already has one freshman making an early case to be impossible to ignore. Legend Glasker has given the Cougars a real jolt on offense, piling up 270 receiving yards while finding the end zone through both the air and on the ground, a burst of versatility that has fit neatly into an attack led by quarterback Bear Bachmeier and supported by an offensive line that has helped keep everything moving.
Bachmeiers start has been steady and productive, with 662 passing yards, six touchdown passes and just one interception, plus added value as a runner, while the line has opened lanes and kept pressure off him. On the other side, linebacker Cade Uluave has set the tone defensively with the team lead in tackles and an interception, but Glaskers rapid rise has already turned him into one of the most interesting young pieces on the roster, especially after earning two Big 12 freshman of the week honors this early in the year. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Gets A Chance To Prove Last Year's TCU Rout Was Real
BYU heads into its bye week with a little extra time to think about what awaits on Oct. 3, when TCU comes to Provo in a Big 12 matchup that should tell a lot more about both teams than the records alone can. The Cougars are favored to win, with ESPN FPI giving them a 68.7% chance and the early spread sitting at 5.5 points, which reflects both BYUs recent momentum and the lingering memory of what happened the last time these programs crossed paths.
TCU still brings a defense that can make life difficult, but the offense has already raised questions after struggling in its loss to North Carolina. For BYU, this is the kind of early league game that can either validate the idea that last years rout was a sign of something real or remind everyone that Big 12 Saturdays tend to reveal more than they promise. [Read more 🡒]
BYU May Have Found The Cornerback It Needed Most
BYU went into the season needing answers at cornerback after Mory Bambas departure, and the early work has centered on a pair of players who have helped steady the position. Sophomore Cannon DeVries has been folded into the defensive rotation, while transfer Jayven Williams arrived with a different path, bringing experience from Mississippi State and Kennesaw State and giving the Cougars another option in the secondary.
Williams has already made a smooth first impression in Provo, quickly picking up BYUs culture and defensive scheme and earning praise from defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga. Both he and DeVries have been part of the nickel and dime looks this season, a sign that BYU is leaning on them in situations where reliability matters most and still sorting out just how far that solution can go. [Read more 🡒]